


Boxes

by Iordio



Series: Reflexions [5]
Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 11:33:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20674700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iordio/pseuds/Iordio
Summary: Barter Books is a wonderful place to get lost in for a few hours, and it's in my home town. Snippets taken from a few years ago when I helped a parent move from the family home after 100 years. There was 200 years of shit. I was ruthless. I also regret throwing out my lego.





	Boxes

July 2018

“Mum, it’s fine if you want to ask Bernie to move in. I mean, she practically lives here anyway! I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to get around to it. I thought you’d have done it last year,” replied Elinor.

“Really?”

“Uh-huh, you’re virtually joined at the hip! Right. Pros and Cons of Bernie moving in. C'mon Mum,” said Eli with what Serena considered to be far too much enthusiasm for seven o’clock on a Saturday morning. “I’m waiting..”

“I thought you were joking?” said Serena as Elinor shook her head.

“Well, we'll get to see each other everyday.”

“That happens already.”

“I’ll miss her,” Serena said hopefully.

“Ugh, Mum. You miss her when she goes on a run,” Eli batted back.

“Mmm, I do. Ok, ok. I’ll be sensible. She won’t be paying a mortgage on flat that she hardly lives in. Most of her stuff is here anyway. She usually buys the food and cooks here. There’s enough space for her, I can re-jig my study for her. It will force me to have a clear out of things I don’t use or don’t need. You’ll have to help with the garage dearest darling daughter as there’s all your university things and at least half a dozen charity bags full of your clothes. If we’re on-call or nights, then we will at least see each other at some point in a 24 hour period. And then there’s some purely personal reasons that I’m not going to go into,” said Serena, arching her eyebrow.

“Eww, Mother!” squeaked Eli. “And the cons?”

“I’ll miss holding her as she falls asleep. Not driving into work with her. Her cooking. She won’t eat properly if she stays at her flat. Her running out of clean clothes as she forgets to do her laundry. There will that do?” finished Serena.

“Sounds like she needs a wife,” joked Elinor without thinking. “Shit! Sorry, didn’t mean it like that. Mum?” paused Elinor. Her Mum's face had flushed red. “Oh my God! Do you want to marry Bernie?”

“...I might want to spend the rest of my days with her, but I’m not sure I need to be married for that to happen,” spluttered Serena. If only Elinor knew just how much she wanted to be married to Bernie and that she had started looking at engagement rings.

“Does Bernie feel the same? Can’t imagine she’d say no if you asked her,” laughed Elinor.

“Yes, we actually do talk to each other,” sharply finished Serena.

\--

It was nearing midnight as they were scrubbing out, the red phone having rung 30 minutes before the end of their shift several hours ago.

“Ugh, remind me why we do this,” groaned Bernie as she lay flat on the sofa in their office.

“The adulation, the gratitude, the rewards...”

“Ha! How likely is that going to happen here?”

“More often than you think,” purred Serena as she pushed her chair to be nearer Bernie.

“Is that so?” smirked Bernie who had picked up on Serena’s tone and shifted upright to meet the lips of her girlfriend.

“Hmm, I needed that,” sighed Serena as they broke apart. “Do you have to stay at yours tonight?”

“Yes, I'm running out of underwear!” laughed Bernie.

“You don’t have to...” shrugged Serena. “I mean, long term, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I mean you could move in with me. If you wanted...”

“Are you sure?”

“Wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t.”

“Jason?”

“He approves, as does Eli who wondered why I hadn’t suggested it ages ago as we’re 'joined at the hip',” replied Serena.

“Ok.”

“Is that it?”

“Yes. I spend most of the time there. I like your house. It’s a home, and I’ve not really had one of those for a wh....” whatever Bernie tried to say was lost in the hug from her girlfriend.

“I love you, you know that?” said Serena into Bernie’s shoulder.

“I know you do, you daft thing! As much as I would like to stay at yours tonight, I really do need to spend my day off catching up on housework. Especially, if we’re going to be living in sin. Wouldn’t want you to think I’m a slob.”

“Darling, everything about you is sinful, and I wouldn’t want you any other way,” purred Serena.

“Charmer. But we really need to get out here...”

“You go, I’ll finish all the charts. I might kip in the on-call room as I want to get our chap up to Renal pronto, and I’m on early tomorrow,” encouraged Serena.

“S’rena...” only for Bernie to be cut off by a kiss.

“Go. Before I change my mind. I’ll see you on bright and early Wednesday morning for the management meeting. Are you staying at mine on Wednesday night?”

“Please. Might bring some more kit with me, if that’s ok?”

“More than. Go on. Home with you. I need to speak with the family,” said Serena as she quickly kissed Bernie goodbye.

\--

“I’ve been thinking, rather than selling my place, I could rent it out,” said Bernie as they sat in the Peace Garden on their break.

“Oh,” replied Serena who failed to school her features quickly enough.

“Stop right there. I know what you are thinking. It’s not about us not working out. It’s about me wanting to move in with you as soon as possible and making sure the mortgage is paid. Selling could take ages and I don’t want to be shelling out on two places,” said Bernie, seeing her girlfriend’s features relax with relief.

“But I finished paying my mortgage last year,” said Serena who wasn’t really focussed on anything else.

“I know that, but I’m assuming that we’ll be splitting the bills. I’m not planning on freeloading,”

“Didn’t think you would. Sorry, I just panicked for a moment. Silly of me, I know."

“S’rena, I know it’s a big step for both of us, but it’s an easy decision for me to take. I love you, I want to be with you, I’m completely committed to you in a way I’ve never been with anyone else. I know we’ll bicker, but we’ve never let it get the better of us, yet. Have we?” said Bernie, Serena nodding in response. “So, why don’t we go to the estate agents on Saturday and find out what the options are and take it from there. Hm?”

“Ok. I’d better give you these, then,” said Serena as she rummaged in her handbag for her spare set of keys, with a new ‘B’ keyring threaded through them.

“Ha! C’mere,” as Bernie pulled Serena closer and softly kissed her temple.

\--

They been to the estate agent and given all the practicalities required to rent out Bernie’s flat, the decision was made to sell. A valuation visit arranged for Thursday afternoon. Bernie reasoning that they could blitz it tomorrow and make it presentable for viewings. Serena adding that most things could go in her garage until they had time to go through it. Bernie was happy to leave her furniture for the right price unless the kids or Jason wanted it for their places. 

“Penny for them,” asked Bernie who had spent the last few minutes watching Serena mentally working things out from her spot on a sofa in a coffee shop.

“It’s all very real, isn’t it. I didn’t envisage how much would be involved. I cleared Mum’s house out a few years ago, but that was all a bit of a blur. We bought this place in 1997, when things were less complicated. Mummy helped with the deposit, and then I bloody made sure that as part of the divorce Edward paid. And to think I nearly let him back into my life,” said Serena.

“But you didn’t,” smiled Bernie.

“And for that, I’m very grateful,” as Serena placed her hand over Bernie’s. “I’d like to put you on to the deeds for the house. I’ve no idea what’s involved, but I’d like you to at least consider it once you’ve got your flat sold. I would like you to feel that’s it’s as much your home as it is mine. And despite appearances contrary, I know you hate not having somewhere to call home,” Serena squeezed Berne’s hand to reinforce her point.

“Home was always a difficult balance with Marcus, but you make it easy, you’re my home. It’s you, Serena,” whispered Bernie. 

Serena hadn’t expected Bernie’s openness and her eyes were glistening with tears that spilt over as she felt the warmth of her partner’s palm against her cheek. Turning to press a kiss against Bernie’s hand she whispered “Let’s go home.”

\--

“Bernie! Is this for the garage or our office?” shouted Serena as she lifted another box from the van.

“What is it?” replied Bernie.

“BMJs and The Lancet!”

“EBay or recycling! They’re all online now! Don’t look at me like that. I’m being ruthless. I dumped everything in boxes and carted it into storage when everything imploded with Marcus! Never had time to sort it all out. Now I have two weeks,” said a very gleeful Bernie.

“And I have thirty years of shit to go through. Ninety if you include my mother’s,” said Serena as she pointed in the direction of the chaos of the garage. “Can I suggest we keep the last 12 months, and I’ll get rid of mine. I might ask you to sign the ones with your articles in, though?” suggested Serena.

“Deal. Can Eli or Jason help with eBay?” asked Bernie.

“Yes, although if there’s no bids, we’re recycling them or taking them to Barter Books.”

“Fine by me. What’s next?” asked Bernie as she pulled her t shirt up to wipe the sweat from her face, causing Serena to gawp at her stomach.

“... Right. Certificates and memberships,” replied Serena as she squinted to make out the writing on the box.

“Office?” suggested Bernie.

“What about Gillian?” asked Serena holding up the still boxed action figure of Dana Scully.

“Downstairs loo!” laughed Bernie. “Best present ever. Well, what came afterwards was,” smiled Bernie as she sat on the tailgate of the van and pulled Serena towards her so she was standing between her legs.

“Ha, could have easily have been a monumental fuck up on my part,” responded Serena.

“But it wasn’t. Don’t suppose you’d be up for recreating it now?” smirked Bernie as Serena closed the gap.

“Get a room!” shouted Eli who was carrying two mugs of coffee.

“We've got a whole house!” grinned back Serena.

“Ugh! Well please wait until I’m on the train back to London, otherwise you'll be paying for my therapy!” Laughter followed as Serena dragged Eli into a three-way hug with Bernie.

“Do you want me to take all that pile to the recycling centre?” asked Eli.

“Yes, can you also take those old blankets of Granny’s to the vets on Church Street. I called them this morning to check. I’ll sort out the next load by the time you get back,” replied Serena.

“Yes, Sergeant Major Campbell,” saluted Eli. Bernie snorted at the glare from Serena. “Major Wolfe, is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yes, learn to salute properly,” as she corrected Elinor’s hand, before giving in and laughing.

“See you in an hour,” replied Eli as she drove her Mum’s car from the driveway to the recycling centre.

“Where were we,” said Bernie as she pulled Serena into the garage and pressed her up against the wall and kissed her. Both moaning into the kiss, Serena was the first to break.

“Major, behave. We have work to do. Have you got everything from storage?” asked Serena.

“Yes, all cleared and keys returned this morning. Need to do a final check at mine tomorrow and drop the keys off with the cleaners. Then to the solicitors on Friday for completion. Where we’re coming home, ordering a takeout, and going to bed,” drawled Bernie.

“Sounds good,” purred Serena. “C'mon, these boxes won’t sort themselves.”

**Author's Note:**

> Barter Books is a wonderful place to get lost in for a few hours, and it's in my home town. Snippets taken from a few years ago when I helped a parent move from the family home after 100 years. There was 200 years of shit. I was ruthless. I also regret throwing out my lego.


End file.
